1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus which has a capability of coloring a monochrome image.
2. Description of the Related Art
For creating a color image such as a color illustration or a color animation, as a traditional method, an operator paints a monochrome original image by his hands. In recent days, the present inventors know that an image processing apparatus has been developed for coloring a monochrome original image. This type of image processing apparatus is capable of painting a monochrome image for quite a short time and easily re-painting the image.
However, such the image processing apparatus just assists in the color-painting work. It lacks in an important function when painting colors on the original image, that is, a function of selecting a color to be painted.
Hence, the image processing apparatus needs an operator's decision as to a color to be painted. It means that the operator has to input his or her selected colors into the apparatus. As a color input method, it is possible to employ the methods of displaying a color palette on a display and specifying an object color on the color palette, of entering a numerical value corresponding to each color component from a keyboard, and of displaying on the display a numerical value corresponding to a color component with a bar graph and entering the color data by changing a length of the bar graph.
Any one of these methods allows just one color to be input at just one time. In order to input several colors, therefore, the apparatus needs a considerably long time and troublesome operation. For example, since the combination of colors is quite important when painting colors on an original image, many trials are inevitably made for selecting the most appropriate color combination. The trial needs at one time several colors to be input to the apparatus. Hence, the selection of color combination needs a considerably long time and a troublesome operation.